TVIOWHFW 58

The atmosphere in the party hall suddenly turned icy. Even the musicians stopped playing, hesitant to offend my mood.

Nadia hastily lowered her head, her face pale with disgust.

“Madam. I swear I had no such intention. I am truly sorry.”

Honestly, openly clashing with the noble families of the United Kingdom wasn’t exactly beneficial for me.

It would make things even more difficult from their side.

‘But it’s better to be a difficult person after all.’

Everyone was already hostile toward me anyway. In this situation, I couldn’t appear to be someone to be taken lightly.

‘Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be considered a trading partner.’

At that moment, the host of the party stepped forward. It was Tamiller, the head of the Royem Kingdom.

“Lady Blanchet, I apologize for upsetting you. As the organizer of this party, I feel a great responsibility.”

Nadia looked at Tamiller as if she had met a savior. But Tamiller was not her savior.

“Miss Morse, please formally apologize to the lady again.”

There was no choice.

If I made a bigger fuss now, fire could spread from the Deped Kingdom all the way to Royem Kingdom.

Nadia looked utterly flustered, biting her lip nervously.

“…I, I just…”

“Do you not understand how serious this is? Showing disrespect to our imperial guests at a gathering of the United Kingdom.”

Tamiller spoke firmly.

“This could lead to punishment from the Deped Kingdom. Please, have mercy, madam.”

Finally, Nadia bowed her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Miss Nadia Morse of Deped officially apologizes. I am sorry for causing discomfort with my inappropriate words…”

The atmosphere in the hall grew tense with discomfort.

I felt sorry for Nadia, who seemed so uneasy.

‘She was the one who made the mistake first…’

But in reality, Nadia wasn’t the only one talking behind my back.

Of course, the noble ladies whispering with her were also watching my every move, trembling with fear. But still, in the social world, only Nadia would be the one to cause trouble.

‘If I don’t accept it, it’ll be hard to recover.’

A noble girl who caused trouble immediately after arriving in the empire wouldn’t be looked upon favorably.

‘This is enough for now.’

Tamiller was about to apologize again after Nadia’s apology.

“Madam, I’m sorry. If you’re expecting punishment or compensation for this mistake…”

“There’s no need for that.”

“…Huh?”

Nadia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I am satisfied with her sincere apology.”

Even the nobles around gasped in shock. I calmly patted Nadia’s shoulder and spoke.

“I wasn’t expecting any severe punishment in the first place.”

“Then…”

“Miss Morse, you’ve only just arrived in the empire, haven’t you?”

Nadia hesitated and nodded.

‘I figured as much.’

No matter how much they claimed to ignore the rumors, the truth was, things rarely went as per custom.

‘What do they think I might do?’

Most people would hold back even while whispering, but Nadia was remarkably inexperienced and openly caused trouble.

“The imperial social scene is strict. Sometimes, even a minor slip of the tongue can become a big problem.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

“I want her to realize that she must take responsibility for her words after this incident.”

I felt exhausted just thinking about the trouble she had caused.

Nadia bowed her head, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion.

“Th-Thank you.”

“Madam, are you truly okay with this?”

Tamiller asked softly, and I nodded faintly.

“Of course. It would be better if we could just move past this as a minor incident.”

“…Really?”

“However, I’m a bit tired, so I’d like to rest in the lounge.”

Tamiller expressed gratitude, perhaps because I was able to avoid ruining the party.

‘At this rate, I’ve gained a decent impression.’

I reached the lounge and stretched.

Tamiller himself even accompanied me to the lounge.

“If you need anything, just let me know. As the host, I want to make sure you’re properly compensated.”

He even said something like that.

‘Later, I’ll call Tamiller and strengthen our relationship.’

That should be enough to achieve today’s goal, at least to some extent!

‘Things are going surprisingly smoothly.’

But still, something about it felt a bit off.

‘I don’t understand the hostility from the United Kingdoms.’

Their attitude towards me was more like how you’d treat an enemy, beyond just rumors of a wicked woman. Even though I had no ties to the enemies related to the United Kingdom.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of the lounge.

“Sorry to bother you while you’re resting. May I come in?”

It was Nadia.

‘Couldn’t she be here to pick a fight again?’

A wave of exhaustion crossed my mind.

Fortunately, Nadia approached shyly with a timid smile and hesitated beside me.

“Duchess Blanchet, I wanted to come and apologize to you again.”

“…For another apology?”

“Yes. I think I was very rude again. And I want to thank you for accepting my apology.”

From Nadia’s perspective, that was quite considerate.

‘It’s not easy to shake off the label of causing trouble with the empire.’

Still, she came all the way to apologize in a private setting.

That was a brave act.

Especially after being publicly humiliated. I gently took Nadia’s hand as she tentatively approached.

“I’m fine with just knowing that you’ve reflected on your mistake. So, let’s go back to the party hall now.”

“…”

“There’s a lot to do to smooth things over from earlier.”

Tears began to stream down Nadia’s eyes as she hesitated.

‘Why… are you crying?’

Betty and Erich had also recently burst into tears in front of me. The problem was, I didn’t know why they were crying.

I patted Nadia’s shoulder and asked.

“Why are you crying? It’s not because you’re upset about earlier, is it?”

“No, it’s not. It’s just that the host of this party is my godfather, so it’s okay.”

…So Tamiller was her godfather?

‘No wonder she seemed so grateful.’

It seemed she appreciated me for saving her dignity.

“I think I was just too rude. I didn’t see her in person, I had no proof, but I spoke harshly anyway.”

Nadia looked at me with tearful eyes.

“Since you’re so kind, why did Miryu say such things?”

“Miryu? Miryu Jutti?”

“Yes. Actually, I was very close friends with Miryu in the United Kingdom. I guess I wanted to be even nastier to you.”

The name I had long forgotten suddenly surfaced.

‘Miryu Jutti.’

My chest felt a sudden pang.

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

Miryu Jutti.

One of the families that used to bow and scrape to get closer to the Duke of Libertan.

What was peculiar was that Jutti’s Baron misunderstood something and, thinking she was a childhood friend of mine, let Miryu into Libertan.

‘They usually strictly blocked outsiders, but…’

For some reason, Miryu was able to visit Libertan many times.

I liked Miryu very much.

When I met her, we were alone, so I wasn’t bullied. Even when I was confined, I was released, and even when I was starving, I still could eat snacks.

Most importantly, I missed human company terribly.

So I wanted to be friends with Miryu very badly.

‘We were friends…’

But it seemed for Miryu it was different.

“You’re lucky, you can eat such precious treats freely.”

“…I can only eat when you come, too.”

I finally mustered my courage to speak carefully to her.

“Because I was punished in the punishment room for disrespecting the duchess. So I couldn’t eat anything.”

At that moment, Miryu muttered in admiration.

“Jealous.”

“Huh?”

“I’m just a filthy commoner… but I look so special. Hey, was there anything else?”

Miryu kept pestering me about the abuses I suffered at Libertan.

‘Am I finally making a friend?’

I was glad to have someone to confide in.

But then, she seemed disappointed or started acting strangely, not understanding my feelings.

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

“Madam. We’ve arrived.”

It seemed they had just left the party hall, yet somehow I had already arrived at Duchess Blanchet’s estate.

A bitter smile crossed my face at the thought of Miryu.

‘She thinks she’s so special, huh?’

Ever since everything fell apart, Miryu hadn’t come to Libertan.

‘Before the wedding, I didn’t hear any news from the outside.’

Her last big lie was so exaggerated that I thought she wouldn’t come out of fear.

But now I realized Miryu had been lying about everything outside all along.

‘I thought everyone just hated me.’

For some reason, I didn’t want to enter the mansion directly, so I wandered near the garden.

‘Today, I grew a little more, huh?’

Eden Roses planted by Undine Tier.

Between the rose bushes, several larger Eden Roses grew—bigger than the others, more than twice my fists.

-They’re growing bigger thanks to the spirit power they receive.

-If I keep watching a little longer, good things will happen.

I diligently checked on the blooming flowers every day, noting their growth, but aside from the size, nothing much changed.

‘No, wait. Erik was stung by a rose once, right?’

When the Eden Rose first bloomed, Erik was the first to step forward.

‘Madam. It could be dangerous, so I should check first.’

Suddenly, a sharp thorn pricked him, drawing blood, and Raymond, watching this, murmured, “Erik, this feels familiar. I think I’ve experienced this before…”

Recalling that moment, which had ended in laughter, made me feel a bit better.

‘I need to find out more about Miryu.’

What kind of lies was she telling about me?

At that moment, a soft voice came from behind.

“Did you have a good time at the party?”

“John?”

John grabbed my chin and carefully examined my face.

“What kind of person is he?”

His sudden words made me shake my head. I didn’t want trouble to fall on Nadia, who had just managed to resolve things.

“Nothing happened.”

“You look like something’s wrong.”

“I said nothing happened.”

“If that’s how you feel, then maybe it’s true.”

John let out a light sigh and raised the corners of his mouth.

“Then, as your husband, shall I try to lift your mood?”

“My mood?”

I blinked, and John smirked dangerously.

“We have an appointment, after all.”

…What was that appointment again?

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

It was a promise to wash my feet.

It felt a little embarrassing, but I couldn’t break my promise with John.

Luckily, it was decided to be just us in the room, but somehow, the fact that it was only us made it seem more dangerous.

“Madam.”

John sat me down.

He placed a soft cushion behind the chair, allowing me to lean back comfortably.

Then, slowly, he poured water over my feet and began washing them.

“How’s the water? Is it okay?”

“Perfect.”

John carefully poured water over my feet.

His fingers slipped between my toes. His large, prominent veins on his delicate hands gently caressed my feet.

He curled his fingers into a circle, stroking each toe joint carefully. His movements were gentle but seemed restrained, almost suppressing something.

‘This is strange.’

My feet felt different, unfamiliar, as if they weren’t my own, and a strange sensation kept rising, stimulating me. A prickling sensation pulled at my thighs and calves.

“Is anything uncomfortable?”

“It’s a bit awkward.”

Only the sound of water splashing was heard.

“Hm.”

John gripped my leg with a firm, bony hand and suddenly brought his lips close to my ankle.

Before his breath even touched me, John looked up with a red gaze and gave a pretty eye smile. Then, he slowly extended his tongue, licking it out.

A new, unfamiliar sensation pierced between my ankles.

It felt as if hot, smooth lips branded a mark on my ankle—like shackles preventing escape.

I tried to move my foot to escape the ticklish feeling, but John’s strong grip made it difficult.

Then he grabbed my hand firmly.

John kept licking my fingers, rubbing between my fingers with his tongue, pressing down and then suddenly pulling back, persistently and thoroughly licking as if craving water.

“J-John! W-What are you doing—”

He didn’t stop at my words.

His moist lips began to lick the soft skin inside my wrist.

He gently kneaded my damp nape and then licked along my collarbone.

“I’ve become wet too.”

He looked at me quietly, in that state.

Desire and longing poured out from his pupils.

Perhaps because our bare skin was touching, the intensity of his feelings was even more palpable.

Slowly, he kissed the visible veins on my skin and then carefully tasted inside my collarbone with his lips.

His tongue dipped over the tender skin, then moved upward along my neck.

It was dizzyingly intense, almost overwhelming.

“I delayed the execution of the Duke of Libertan’s sentence.”

He muttered softly near my neck.

“For you.”

I stiffened, locking eyes with John.

~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~

Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉

Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

~~~Next Chapter~~~

Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.

See you then!!